Executive Jet Management (EJM), the aircraft management arm of fractional-ownership operator NetJets, saw charter revenues grow 36% last year, compared with 14% in 2002, and is projecting 24% growth this year. The company says its revenue growth came at a time when other charter providers' revenues were flat or declined.
The Columbus, Ohio-based company added 34 aircraft to its charter fleet last year, and now manages over 100 aircraft in 50 US locations. EJM plans to add another 35 aircraft this year. Including back-up operations for NetJets, the company handled more than 28,000 flight segments last year, of which over 4,100 were charter operations.
The bigger fleet is one reason for the charter growth, but the fleet mix is another, says EJM. "Larger cabin aircraft compose a greater segment of our charter flights than for most charter companies," says chief executive Albert Pod. The fleet includes four Boeing Business Jets owned by NetJets, and the Bombardier Global Express, Dassault Falcon 2000 and Gulfstream IV and V.
Source: Flight International
